


stones in my pockets

by pvwork



Category: Free!
Genre: Athletes, Character Study, Gen, Jealousy, POV Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 08:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pvwork/pseuds/pvwork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nitori Aiichirou is unhappy. He's unhappy about a lot of things, but mostly about being a bad swimmer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	stones in my pockets

**Author's Note:**

> Potential spoilers for Ep. 7. Set at Samezuka Academy and before Nitori confronts Rin about his choice of events.

"What are you so worked up about?" 

And Aiichiro has the decency not to burst into tears. Really, he's doing a favor for everyone because at this moment in time he is not ready to be anything except bitterly upset at his own failings and horribly, irrationally angry at those who are doing well for themselves. 

He looks at Matsuoka-senpai's retreating form and takes a moment to stew in his own self-pitying juices. Prefecturals! A chance to show all the other schools in the region that you were a threat, a real asset to the team, a great athlete and competitor, and Matsuoka-senpai has the gall to waste the first competition of the season on some childhood nemesis. 

Aiichirou turns away from his captain and walks to the other end of the pool. People his speed swim here, in the shallower end, and he slips in pretending all the while that the unpleasant taste in his mouth that stings of jealously and bile is actually just the chemical flavor of pool water. Chlorine has always tasted funny. 

When he gets out of the pool, muscles burning and lungs pleasantly singed by the lack of air, he walks to the showers and stands under the spray until all the hot water has become cold. Everyone else has left. Aiichirou stands alone in the empty locker room, feeling vindictive and lonely and very incapable. He usually feels better after a hard practice, but today the frustrated, pent up feelings in his chest that tell him to destroy something have not quieted. He feels small and defective. He doesn't know how to express to another person that all he ever wanted was to get better! To improve! While everyone else was steadily shaving seconds and minutes off of their time, PR-ing and moving forward in the pool as much as one can when one has to make a turn and return in the same direction, Aiichirou has been stuck in a rut, left to dry on a horrible plateau of mediocrity. Maybe telling someone how he felt would relieve the pressure. Someone to share a burden that was hardly a burden at all would be nice. 

When Aiichirou returns to his dorm room he opens his door slowly. He takes a deep breath. 

"Where have you been? Would you mind holding my legs down for me while I do sit-ups?" 

And Aiichirou nods wordlessly, his silly confessions stuck in his throat in the face of Matsuoka-senpai's request. So on top of being a failure and a loser, Aiichirou mentally adds push-over onto his list of faults and walks over to crouch uncomfortably on Matsuoka-senpai's bottom bunk and hold down his legs.


End file.
